Author archive: PRESS RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy today called for the appointment of a Special Counsel to investigate potential bias and potential conflicts of interest and decisions made or not made by the Department of Justice in 2016 and 2017.

In a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, Chairmen Goodlatte and Gowdy request the appointment of a Special Counsel to review evidence of bias by any employee or agent of the DOJ, FBI, or other agencies; the decisions to charge or not charge and whether those decisions were made consistent with the applicable facts, the applicable law, and traditional investigative and prosecutorial policies and procedures; and whether the FISA process employed in the fall of 2016 and continuing into 2017 was lawful and pursuant to all relevant policies and procedures.

Dear Attorney General Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein:

Matters have arisen – both recently and otherwise – which necessitate the appointment of a Special Counsel. We do not make this observation and attendant request lightly. We have tremendous respect for the women and men of federal law enforcement and federal prosecution. In the vast majority of fact patterns, the Department of Justice, the career prosecutors and law enforcement professionals who serve there, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country are fully capable of investigating, evaluating, charging where appropriate, and prosecuting matters for which there is federal jurisdiction.

Nevertheless, there are instances in which an actual or potential conflict of interest exists or appears to exist, or there are matters in which the public good would be furthered, and an independent Special Counsel is warranted as the relevant Federal regulations provide.

We believe that, in the case of certain decisions made and not made by the Department of Justice and FBI in 2016 and 2017, both an actual conflict of interest exists and separately, but equally significantly, the public interest requires the appointment of a Special Counsel.

With respect to potential and actual conflicts of interest, decisions made and not made by both former and current Department of Justice and FBI officials have led to legitimate questions and concerns from the people whom we all serve. There is evidence of bias, trending toward animus, among those charged with investigating serious cases. There is evidence political opposition research was used in court filings. There is evidence this political opposition research was neither vetted before it was used nor fully revealed to the relevant tribunal. Questions have arisen with the FISA process and these questions and concerns threaten to impugn both public and congressional confidence in significant counterintelligence program processes and those charged with overseeing and implementing these counterintelligence processes.

Because the decisions of both former and current Department of Justice and FBI officials are at issue, we do not believe the Department of Justice is capable of investigating and evaluating these fact patterns in a fashion likely to garner public confidence. In addition, while we have confidence in the Inspector General for the Department of Justice, the DOJ IG does not have the authority to investigate other governmental entities or former employees of the Department, the Bureau, or other agencies.

Some have been reluctant to call for the appointment of a Special Counsel because such an appointment should be reserved for those unusual cases where existing investigative and prosecutorial entities cannot adequately discharge those duties. We believe this is just such a case.

Accordingly, we request that you appoint a Special Counsel to review decisions made and not made by the Department of Justice and the FBI in 2016 and 2017, including but not limited to evidence of bias by any employee or agent of the DOJ, FBI, or other agencies involved in the investigation; the decisions to charge or not charge and whether those decisions were made consistent with the applicable facts, the applicable law, and traditional investigative and prosecutorial policies and procedures; and whether the FISA process employed in the fall of 2016 was appropriate and devoid of extraneous influence.

WASHINGTON – March 6th, the Senate voted 67-32 in favor of starting debate on S. 2155, theEconomic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act, bipartisan legislation to grow the economy and protect consumers that was negotiated in part by Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA). Today Sen. Warner called for swift passage of the legislation, which will provide targeted relief for community banks and credit unions so they can improve access to capital and increase economic prosperity in the Commonwealth.

The legislation addresses some of the unintended consequences of the Dodd-Frank Act in order to make it easier for smaller community banks and credit unions to lend to Virginia businesses and families, which is good for households and the economy.

“The Senate is on the verge of passing major bipartisan legislation aimed at providing relief for small community banks, credit unions, and the customers they serve. As someone who helped put together the Dodd-Frank legislation, I know there are areas where we can help improve access to capital for consumers, farmers, and small businesses so they can grow the economy and create jobs,” said Sen. Warner.

“Virginia’s community banks and credit unions did not cause the financial crisis, and they should not be held back by regulations intended for the big banks. I look forward to seeing the Senate pass this package of bipartisan measures that will provide relief for Main Street, strengthen consumer protections, and keep Wall Street accountable.”

Following the 2008 financial meltdown, Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to crack down on the worst Wall Street abuses and institute strict regulations to prevent another crisis. Sen. Warner played an important role in negotiating and drafting major portions of this legislation, which created new safeguards to protect our financial system and hold Wall Street accountable.

However, as with any major reform, the law also had some unintended consequences. Virginia has lost over a quarter of its community banks and nearly a third of its credit unions since Dodd-Frank was passed. In some cases, the law resulted in unnecessary and burdensome regulations on credit unions and small community banks that made it harder for them to lend money to help local businesses grow and create jobs.

“As a credit union, we have to adhere to the same regulations as large banks do. But we have to do it with a much smaller base – we only have 10,000 members and 20 employees – adhering to the same regulations that a behemoth like Bank of America has to adhere to,”said Lisa Lambrecht, President & CEO of Entrust Financial Credit Union in Henrico County. “I wish the federal government would understand that these one-size-fits-all regulations don’t work for credit unions. You have to remember; credit unions were formed to fill that gap that the larger established financial system was not serving.”

“In the rural areas, the larger institutions across the whole country have reduced their branches. The smaller banks have held their own, but we’re operating with 2000 less community banks a day than we were 12, 15 years ago. That’s over one fourth of community banks are gone — and I think a primary reason for that is regulatory fatigue,” said Lyn Hayth, President & CEO of the Bank of Botetourt.

“Every dollar we spend on increased compliance really doesn’t go to our capital. And if we could put that extra dollar into our capital, we could lend it back out into the community on a tenfold basis. So, our hope is that regulation can be decreased, and that we are able to take that capital that we save and invest it back into our communities,” said Alice Frazier, President & CEO of Bank of Charles Town in Middleburg.

“I think that community banks are the backbone of our country, and many of our rural markets. And not just our rural markets – but I think we serve a vital role to the growth of the economy,” said Mark Hanna, President of Farmers & Merchants Bank in Timberville.

The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act (S.2155) ensures that small lenders can provide mortgage and other credit to hardworking Americans, helping them and their families grow and start businesses. The bill also institutes several important consumer protections:

• Allows consumers to get one free year of fraud alerts, which will help consumers who have been impacted by situations like the Wells Fargo scandal or whose identities or personal information has been stolen.

• Unlimited free credit freezes and unfreezes, which helps consumers impacted by data breaches like the Equifax hack that compromised the personal information of approximately 145 million Americans.

• Provides free credit monitoring for all active-duty servicemembers.

• Protects the credit ratings of veterans wrongly penalized by medical bill payment delays by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This measure would prohibit medical debt from services received through the Choice Program and other VA community care programs from being reported to credit reporting agencies for one year. In addition, it would establish a dispute process for veterans seeking to remove adverse actions already on their report.

• Prevents mortgage companies from immediately kicking tenants out of their rentals if the landlord is foreclosed upon.

• Allows seriously delinquent private student loan borrowers a one-time offer to remove negative reporting from their credit reports after making a series of on-time payments.

The legislation was introduced in November after years of bipartisan negotiations among Sen. Warner, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Banking Committee members Senators Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and Jon Tester (D-MT). It is also co-sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA).

WASHINGTON – March 6th, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) sponsored a set of bipartisan bills to help curb gun violence, including the Fix NICS Act, legislation which would ensure federal and state authorities comply with existing law and accurately report relevant criminal history records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). This bill penalizes federal agencies who fail to properly report relevant records and incentivizes states to improve their overall reporting. In addition, it directs more federal funding to the accurate reporting of domestic violence records.

“Throughout my career, I’ve been a proud supporter of the Second Amendment and have always advocated for responsible gun ownership. My commitment to those principles remains, but it is also past time to put an end to these mass shootings,” said Sen. Warner.

“While these commonsense reforms are not themselves enough, they will strengthen our background checks system and keep deadly weapons out of the hands of violent individuals and terrorists. No single law will end all gun violence, but we must begin attempting to address this crisis.”

The Fix NICS Act:

Requires federal agencies and states to produce NICS implementation plans focused on uploading all information to the background check system showing that a person is prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms under current law—including measures to verify the accuracy of records.

Holds federal agencies accountable if they fail to upload relevant records to the background check system through public reporting and prohibiting bonus pay for political appointees.

Rewards states who comply with their NICS implementation plans through federal grant preferences and incentives, while increasing accountability through public reporting for those who do not comply with their plans.

Reauthorizes and improves important law enforcement programs to help state governments share relevant criminal record information with NICS.

Creates a Domestic Abuse and Violence Prevention Initiative to ensure that states have adequate resources and incentives to share all relevant information with NICS showing that a felon or domestic abuser is excluded from purchasing firearms under current law.

Sen. Warner is also a cosponsor of the Terrorist Firearms Prevention Act, bipartisan legislation to help keep guns from terrorist by preventing people who are on the “No Fly List” or the “Selectee List” from purchasing firearms.

R-MA sophomore Jacob Gehly of Front Royal leads a group of drum major competitors during the drum major contest at the Military School Band and Choir Festival.

Fifteen select members of the Randolph-Macon Academy Band and Chorus traveled to Missouri Military Academy for the last weekend of February, to attend the 42nd Military School Band & Choir Festival.

The festival featured a concert band composed of military high school and college cadets under the direction of WO2 Bandmaster Freddie Lomas, Royal Marines, UK (ret), Director of Music at Missouri Military Academy. There was also be a cadet choir directed by a former Royal Marine, Rob McGrath, Choir and Jazz Band Director at Missouri Military Academy. Senior Chief Musician Michael P. Bayes, Drum Major of the United States Navy Band, conducted a clinic for military high school and college drum majors.

“This event is a highlight of the year for our better musicians,” said R-MA Band Director Ed Richards. “It is an opportunity to perform with a high quality band and choir composed entirely of the best musicians from military academies and colleges from across the nation. For our drum majors, it is an opportunity to train with the drum major of one of our nation’s premiere military bands, the United States Navy Band in Washington, DC.”

Several R-MA students won honors during the festival, including sophomore Alan Williams of Front Royal, who received a silver medal for earning first chair flute, and senior Ziyin “David” Chen of China, who received a silver medal for earning first chair alto saxophone. Chen also had a featured co-solo during the concert held on Sunday.

The much-anticipated drum major competition was held over the weekend as well, with R-MA sophomore Jacob Gehly of Front Royal winning the gold medal (first place).

The combined concert—in which Chen’s co-solo can be heard at 19:30—can be heard here.

FRONT ROYAL – Warren County Fire and Rescue Services Chief Richard Mabie has expressed his support for Warren County Public School’s initiative to provide a dual enrollment option for rising seniors interested in Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training in the 2018-19 school year. Working cooperatively with Lord Fairfax Community College (LFCC), Blue Ridge Technical Center is piloting a program to provide 17 credits of EMT training to qualifying students to enable them to get a head start on the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Emergency Medical Services at LFCC. Completion of this degree helps prepare students to pass the national registry exam.

The slots for this program are limited and available through a competitive application process. Area high school guidance counselors have the application packets available for interested students. The deadline for application is next Wednesday, February 28, 2018.

Chief Mabie said he is “Excited about training young people to serve their communities as emergency responders while they are still in high school. It’s the perfect time in their lives to explore the volunteer fire service and find out what it takes to be committed to something greater than themselves.”

EMTs are the front line in providing appropriate response to medical emergencies. Over 70% of Warren County emergency calls are for medical emergencies and more EMTs are needed at every fire station in the county.

For more information about this program may be found on the Blue Ridge Technical Center website at www.wcps.k12.va.us/brtc/.

Hollis L. Tharpe, 66, officially announced Thursday that he is seeking re-election for Mayor of Front Royal on November 6, 2018.

Hollis is a Front Royal native and has been married to Deborah Stonebreaker for 25 years. They jointly have four (4) daughters, ten (10) grandchildren and three (3) greatgrandchildren – with a fourth on the way. Hollis proudly served in the United States Marine Corps. Hollis is a proud member of the Loyal Order of Moose, BPO Elks Lodge, the American Legion Post #53, and the Warren County Humane Society.

Mr. Tharpe was first elected to the Town Council in 2000 and served until 2004 and was elected again in 2010 & 2014; where he served as Vice Mayor from 2014-2016, being elected as Mayor in 2017. Hollis is proud to serve as part of a team to achieve the goals set forth by the Town Council, both past and present. He is currently serving as Mayor on a team that has kept Front Royal’s electric rates the lowest in the Commonwealth of Virginia, along with the some of the lowest rates for water in the Shenandoah Valley.

The work will continue, as Mayor Tharpe works as the leader of the Town Council to reduce the amount of tax increases, and provide the resources for an efficient and effective Police Department. Hollis wishes to continue his dedication of service that started with his Service to His Country.

Cynthia Dunbar is running to represent the people of the 6th Congressional District of Virginia. While Cynthia had no desire to seek political office, over the past year she had constituents all over the 6th District ask her to please run to serve them as their U.S. Representative in Washington. After much prayer and consideration, she has consented to run.

Cynthia is not a politician. She is a leader. She is not polished, but is bold, fearless and impassioned! Cynthia has no personal agenda or political career motives. However, she is not afraid to stand up to the powers that be. She is not for sale. She is the courageous constitutional conservative.

Cynthia is a true believer in the principle that less government means greater liberty. Cynthia has proven time and time again that she does not back down from a fight and that she is committed to doing what is needed to save our nation. In short, Cynthia is more than just a vote. Cynthia has committed that if elected, she will sacrificially serve not only the people of the 6th Congressional District but every patriotic American who desperately wants to see our Constitutional Republic restored. She promises to fight with every ounce of courage she has to take on the stagnant status quo of Republican leadership in Washington. Cynthia promises results, never excuses.

The Royal Examiner’s cameras were at the Skyline Baptist Church off of Route 55 in Front Royal on Wednesday evening and capture her comments to local churches.

Cynthia Dunbar is an American patriot, author, public speaker, and National Committeewoman to the RNC for VA. She formerly was an elected member of the Texas State Board of Education, Assistant Professor of Law and Advisor to the Provost of Liberty University. Cynthia is a public servant who has worked tirelessly at the local, state and national level.

She is a contributing Professor for Constituting America, serves on the Boards of Directors of Source for Women, Faith 2 Action, Oil & Wine, Youth Can Lead, Amigos de Dios, Intercessors for America, and Merryfield Orphanage. Her policy and academic writings have been published by various mediums including William & Mary’s Journal of Women and the Law, Washington University’s John C. Danforth Center on Religion & Politics, Constituting America, Newsmax, and the Liberty Legal Journal. Her passion for our Constitutional Republic has garnered her both National and International attention from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, PBS, Dateline, Norwegian International Radio, BBC Radio and the London Guardian, among others. She has been featured in the New York Times Magazine, on Hardball with Chris Matthews, frequently seen on Fox News and she has been a regular contributor addressing educational policy issues on Fox and Friends.

Cynthia is no stranger to political warfare and strategy. She has fought the hard battles in education. Few areas are as controversial as what content gets put in our children’s textbooks. During her tenure as a Texas State Board of Education Member, Cynthia never backed down from fighting to ensure accurate American History was taught in the classroom.

“I have had the pleasure of working side by side with Cynthia on legal and political battlefields. I can state with assurance that there are few who are more committed to Christian principles being upheld within our government, and even fewer who are equipped to diligently fight for them. She will be a strong voice and advocate for Virginia’s 6th Congressional District and for all Christian Conservatives across the nation! This is why I heartily give her my endorsement for this position.”—Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel & Former Dean of Liberty University School of Law

Background

Cynthia Dunbar is a 2018 Republican candidate seeking election to Congress to represent Virginia’s 6th district, which is being vacated by retiring Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte. The district is a Republican stronghold, and is located in the west-central part of the state, including Roanoke, Lynchburg, and Shenandoah Valley. Cynthia is the only conservative candidate in the race who has the experience and values to represent Virginia in Congress.

Cynthia believes both parties are to blame for Congress’s inability to get anything accomplished, but she is particularly frustrated with her own party. “The fact that we Republicans hold both chambers in Congress and continue to play politics instead of keeping our promises to the American people is unacceptable,” said Dunbar. “There is absolutely no excuse for not having repealed Obamacare, and I will fight tirelessly until it is repealed.”

Cynthia is a true conservative with a record of winning tough battles and she has the scars to prove it. She does not spend years politely tiptoeing around leadership with few victories to show for her time. She gets in, gets things done and then gets out.

“The preservation of a free Government requires not merely, that the metes and bounds which separate each department of power be invariably maintained; but more especially that neither of them be suffered to overleap the great Barrier which defends the rights of the people. The Rulers who are guilty of such an encroachment, exceed the commission from which they derive their authority, and are Tyrants. The People who submit to it are governed by laws made neither by themselves nor by an authority derived from them, and are slaves.” – James Madison

The 2018 General Assembly session reaches its halfway mark today! The House is making progress on several key issues as we begin to consider legislation passed by the Senate. Today is the last day for the House to act on its legislation.

Exchange student, Lira Moldozhunusova visited the Capitol last week to learn about our state government. Lira is from Kyrgyzstan and was joined by her host exchange family member, Darla Barrett and exchange program representative, Sharon Kalbarczyk.

On Thursday, Governor Ralph Northam and Speaker Kirk Cox stood side-by-side and announced a bipartisan compromise to raise the felony larceny threshold to $500 and adopt into law legislation to ensure that crime victims are paid the restitution duly owed to them. A Crime Commission study recently found that there was over $230 million in unpaid and overdue restitution, which is money defendants owe to victims for things like medical expenses, owed to victims across the Commonwealth. More recently, WRIC8 reporter Kerri O’Brien found that $8 million in restitution that was collected from defendants but never delivered to the crime victims. That money was just sitting in state coffers not being delivered. Last year, the House and Senate passed a bill introduced by Delegate Rob Bell to address the unpaid restitution but Governor McAuliffe vetoed it. The commitment from Governor Northam to sign this piece of legislation is a significant step for crime victims.

Delegate Michael Webert introduces Regulatory Reform Legislation

One of my biggest priorities has always been ensuring there is less government intrusion on your everyday life. On Monday, Speaker Cox reached an agreement with Governor Northam to establish a regulatory reform pilot program with a goal to reduce or streamline regulatory requirements by 25% over the next three years. This bipartisan legislation will show hard working entrepreneurs, innovators, and small and large businesses that removing bureaucratic red tape that hinders the creation of good paying jobs is important.

We’ve seen positive effects of regulatory reform on our national economy during the last year, and this pilot program (which was the idea of my colleague Delegate Michael Webert) has the potential to reap positive benefits for Virginians for years. I am very excited about this program and I look forward to it removing many of the barriers that holds back development and job creation.

Interstate 81 Remarks

Last Thursday during the House Transportation Committee I presented the Transportation Secretary with questions about prioritizing and funding improvements along the Interstate 81 corridor. Year after year, we watch the State fund major projects in Norther Virginia, Richmond and in the Tidewater regions of our State while improvements to Interstate 81 are overlooked. To view my remarks and the Secretary’s comments, please forward the video to 9:00:50.

I encourage you to keep in touch with me and my office over the coming months. I value the feedback you provide on a continual basis as it helps me do a better job of representing you. You can email me at delccollins@house.virginia.gov or call my office in Richmond at (804) 698-1029.

I will provide you with weekly email updates during the 2018 General Assembly Session and will schedule my Coffee with Chris events after Session to report on important topics and take questions.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) announced his nomination of several individuals from the Sixth Congressional District of Virginia to our nation’s service academies as members of the graduating Class of 2022. A nomination must be received from either a Member of Congress or the Vice President in order to compete for an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, U.S. Military Academy at West Point, or U.S. Naval Academy.

Congressman Goodlatte released the following statement:

“America’s military has produced some of our country’s most distinguished leaders. These young men and women have expressed an interest in following in their footsteps, and I applaud them for their willingness to protect and defend the United States. At our nation’s service academies, students have the opportunity to receive a quality educational experience and training to become the next generation of leaders. It is my honor to nominate these individuals to compete for an appointment to a service academy. I am confident that those selected for an appointment will serve the United States with distinction. Folks in the Sixth District can be proud of these nominees. I wish them the best and thank them again for being willing to serve their country.”

Sixth District Nominations for the Class of 2022

U.S. Air Force Academy

Ashton Ashley, son of Jeanette and Kenneth Ashley, is a senior at William Byrd High School and a resident of Roanoke.

Qu’Daja Manns, daughter of Mary French, is a senior at William Fleming High School and a resident of Roanoke.

Nathan Marraccini, son of Christine and Joe Marraccini, is a senior at E.C. Glass High School and a resident of Lynchburg.

Leah Pultz, daughter of Monica Rutledge and Darren Pultz, is a senior at Buffalo Gap High School and a resident of Swoope.

Shennan Waldron, daughter of Raymond and Wynne Waldron, is a graduate of Central High School and a resident of Fort Valley.

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

Rennie Bowersox, son of Rennie and Tina Bowersox, is a senior at Wilson Memorial High School and a resident of Staunton.

Brendan Murray, son of Mike and Nina Murray, is a senior at Jefferson Forest High School and a resident of Forest.

Calvin Robb, son of Kendra and Jeff Robb, is a senior at Spotswood High School and a resident of Rockingham.

U.S. Military Academy at West Point

Austin Askew, son of Alan and Amy Askew, is a senior at Liberty Christian Academy and a resident of Forest.

Andrew Caywood, son of Rich and Amy Caywood, is a senior at Faith Christian School and a resident of Roanoke.

Lillian Hereford, daughter of William and Alison Hereford, is a senior at Stuart Hall and a resident of Staunton.

Mary Miller, daughter of Betty Reese and Jeff Miller, is a senior at Turner Ashby High School and a resident of Dayton.

Calvin Robb, son of Kendra and Jeff Robb, is a senior at Spotswood High School and a resident of Rockingham.

Zachary Wright, son of Cindy and Tim Wright, is a senior at Broadway High School and a resident of Linville.

U.S. Naval Academy

Rennie Bowersox, son of Rennie and Tina Bowersox, is a senior at Wilson Memorial High School and a resident of Staunton.

Jack Buchanan, son of Harry and Kristie Buchanan, is a senior at Lord Botetourt High School and a resident of Roanoke.

Charles Cathcart, son of Charlie and Cheryl Cathcart, is a senior at Rockbridge County High School and a resident of Lexington.

Annisten Elliott, daughter of Robert and Debora Elliot, is a senior at E.C. Glass High School and is a resident of Lynchburg.

Clayton Fortney, son of Clay and Mary Fortney, is a senior at Skyline High School and a resident of Front Royal.

Tanner Gage, son of Matthew and Michel Gage, is a senior at Jefferson Forest High School and a resident of Forest.

Ava Harding, daughter of Jane and John Harding, is a senior at Hidden Valley High School and a resident of Roanoke.

Ethan Hogan, son of Amy and Tom Hogan, is a senior at Lord Botetourt High School and a resident of Roanoke.

Luke Martin, son of Susan and Timothy Martin, is a senior at James River High School and a resident of Buchanan.

William Miller, son of William and Kristen Miller, is a student at Virginia Military Institute and a resident of Buchanan.

Brendan Murray, son of Mike and Nina Murray, is a senior at Jefferson Forest High School and a resident of Forest.

Vivian Neal, daughter of Diane and Marcus Neal, is a senior at Harrisonburg High School and a resident of Harrisonburg.

Jack Sherman, son of Christine and Andrew Sherman, is a senior at Patrick Henry High School and a resident of Roanoke.

Christian Strom, son of Chris and Deborah Strom, is a senior at Cave Spring High School and a resident of Roanoke.

William Sweet, son of Jon and Mary-Beth Sweet, is a senior at Hidden Valley High School and a resident of Roanoke.

Casey Welch, son of Barry and Allison Welch, is a senior at Roanoke Catholic School and a resident of Roanoke.

The 2018 General Assembly session is in full swing! This week we began meeting with our assigned committees. This year I will be serving on the Courts of Justice, Transportation and Education Committees. I look forward to working with other members on these important committees to pass practical solutions to issues that Virginians face everyday.

I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting with so many of you who have stopped by my Capitol office. If you happen to be in the Richmond area during this year’s General Assembly Session please stop by the Pocahontas Building (Room E420) and say hello.

Daily Session and Committee Videos

Have you been wondering how you can watch the House of Delegates daily sessions? The link below will direct you to the live feed as well as archived videos from previous days.

On Wednesday, Appropriations Committee Chairman Chris Jones, spoke to members about the budgeting process. The budget is the most important thing we do in the General Assembly. It is not a partisan piece of legislation and is the best opportunity we have to work across the aisle. I promise to be a good steward of your tax dollars. We will be consistent with what we have done in the past and work efficiently and in a transparent manner. The budget we pass will be structurally balanced and show a commitment to the core functions of government.

I am carrying over 20 bills during the 2018 General Assembly Session. Last week, my HB291- Storage and Preservation of Adoption Files successfully made it out of the Health, Welfare and Institutions committee (22-Y 0-N).

In summary, I encourage you to keep in touch with me and my office over the coming months. I value the feedback you provide on a continual basis as it helps me do a better job of representing you. You can email me at delccollins@house.virginia.gov or call my office in Richmond at (804) 698-1029.

I will provide you with weekly email updates during the 2018 General Assembly Session and will schedule my Coffee with Chris events after Session to report on important topics and take questions.